Here and There, Now and Then
by Marmalah
Summary: Roy Mustang had automatically reached for his gun as if it were a life-or-death situation, and he fingered the cool metal in his hand as if it were made of glass. Slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled it up and aimed straight for the Fullmetal Alchemist. - AU


**Here and There, Now and Then**

Edward tried, though uselessly, it seemed, to calm his raging heart and slow his ragged breathing. His gaze was firmly locked on Colonel Roy Mustang, impassive-looking as ever, though his eyes seemed to be ablaze with irritation. He could see the older alchemist's hands twitching at his sides, his fingers curling in while he dug his fingernails into his palms. Despite the situation, Ed grinned. Anything to piss off Roy could make him the happiest fifteen-year-old in Amestris.

"Why the hell would I go back? I wouldn't even think of it. You'd have to make me, Colonel Bastard." His voice came out a low hiss, and the groaning of the wind almost dragged his words away, but Roy could've heard them from a mile away. The flashing of Edward's golden eyes seemed like the sun flickering behind the clouds, trying as hard as it could to overcome the storm that was inevitable to come.

The sigh coming from his lips was filled with exasperation and the same annoyance that was displayed in his eyes. "You can never make things easy, can you, Fullmetal?" Roy's eyes narrowed as the other alchemist stuck his tongue out childishly.

"Like I'd ever make anything easy for _you._"

"I could report you, you know, for assaulting one of your superiors." Of course, he was just using all of this as foreplay. Though Edward was his subordinate, he wouldn't hesitate with carrying out the military's demands. Which were, now, crystal clear; capture State Alchemist Edward Elric. If he were to resist, he was to be killed. Simple.

Although Roy really didn't want to kill him, this_ kid_ was in his way of reaching his goal, in the long run. If he didn't kill this goddamn brat, it could affect him becoming Fuhrer. That… was something he couldn't risk. Never. Nothing was more important than that.

Now all he had to do was convince himself that that was what he really believed.

"Oh, because being reported is what I should be worried about? Are you kidding me? Really, Mustang, are you _fucking kidding me? _Quit trying to humor me. Dammit, I really just want to ring your fucking neck right now, you bastard." Edward's voice had escalated throughout his rampage, though his tone was laced so heavily with sarcasm and arrogance that Roy had to blink once or twice to process the words.

One look at the alchemist even made him draw back slightly – his eyes were narrowed so that only a small sliver of the yellow-gold was visible, his ponytail was messy and his hair was frizzy and full of twigs and leaves and dirt. His skin was darker than it's normal tan, with small patches of dried mud on his arms and face. Overall, he looked like he had slept out in the woods for a week.

Roy decided to brush off the cynical comments from Ed, and his dark eyes were dancing with amusement. "What'd you do, Fullmetal? Wrestle a bear?" There was a pause before the Colonel grinned. "Or maybe it was a fox, considering you're too damn small to even be a match against a bear."

He could see Edward's red-tinted cheeks even under the thin layer of dirt caked on his skin, and the clenching of the other's fists only made his grin spread wider.

"Who're you calling so small that he could be picked up by a pair of chopsticks?"

"I never said anything of the sort. You know, I've always wondered where you got all this energy from," Roy said offhandedly, tilting his head to the side with an almost innocent look. He'd always loved seeing Edward's blood boil.

"Dammit, quit jerking me around already, Colonel Shit! Now what do you want?"

"I'm sure you already know, you idiot. Didn't we already go over this? You come back with me, and we both get off easy." Lies, lies, lies. He knew that Edward would be able to see right through it, but it didn't stop him from trying. "Come on, I don't want to hurt you."

Edward's golden eyes blazed, and he spat, "Is that what you told them in Ishbal, too?"

Roy was sure that that was where he had snapped. The Ishbalan War had been one of the many things that he'd wanted to push into the darkest parts of his mind – just the thought of it made him practically drown in self-loathing. The faces of all of the people that he had killed, just because the military had told him to, haunted him every time he closed his eyes. However, he had to do it, because they told him to. Because it could prevent him from becoming Fuhrer. Because it could ruin all that he had ever worked for.

He could practically feel his hands soaked and dripping with blood, running through his fingers and making his arms a mess. He felt sticky and hot and angry and oh so guilty.

"You never know when to keep your goddamn mouth shut, you brat." His voice was hoarse, his mouth was dry, and he felt like he was trying to shove a cactus down his throat. "Why don't I just _show _you what I did in Ishbal?"

Roy savored that look of horror that passed across Edward's face so openly, and he swore that he swayed on the spot. He wanted to see that look again. There was no longer a mask that the Fullmetal Alchemist was hiding behind; his emotions were unlocked for only Roy to see, now.

"What, are you afraid, Fullmetal? Hm?" He was taunting him, playing with him now, though his mouth was curved downwards in a deep scowl. His words were teasing and easily fell off his lips, and he was sure that Edward thought that he was bipolar or had some sort of problem. Hell, maybe he was, but it wasn't like it mattered now. "I'll show you something to be afraid of."

"Y-yeah, sure. I'm waiting." Edward hesitated, stumbling over his words like a child – which he _was_, even if he wouldn't admit to it – but his eyes were defiant and challenging. Roy imagined that he would have that kind of spark until his last gasping breath, which he was sure wouldn't be too far off in the future. And the Flame Alchemist had no idea how accurate he was in that statement.

Roy Mustang had automatically reached for his gun as if it was a life-or-death situation, and he fingered the cool metal in his hand as if it were made of glass. And slowly, ever so slowly, he pulled it up and aimed straight for the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Scared yet?" He paused, twisting the gun around in his hand casually as his gaze traveled upwards to meet Edward's own. "All you have to do is agree to come back. It's easy. Either that or I'll force you. Hell, maybe I'll even kill you if you're lucky."

A small shudder passed through Ed's body at Roy's cold words, void of any emotion, though he seemed nonchalant as if he were discussing the weather. That statement almost made him laugh. Almost.

"Why would I go back? So that they can experiment on him? That's what you want, right? I'm not going to let them touch Alphonse. Not even while I'm long dead."

"You don't know that. Maybe it's the price you have to pay for performing human transmutation. Did you ever think of that?"

"That makes _so _much fucking sense."

"I'm being serious here, Edward –"

"Well, obviously. You called me by my actual _name_ and you're pointing a gun at me. I would count that as serious."

"– so you better make a decision and fast. I don't have much patience left."

"Do you _ever _have any patience, Colonel Bastard?"

The loud bang made him jerk violently, but he felt himself being pulled down to the ground as his knee gave out underneath him. His mouth was open in a semi-silent gasp as the bullet shattered his kneecap and lodged deep enough to make him shake and wince.

"What the fuck, Roy?" He paused, trying to catch his breath from his crouching position on the ground. "Did you seriously just… You just shot me, you shit!" As if answering him, Roy cocked the gun and pointed it again at the alchemist. Edward, whose trembling hand was placed over his knee, let out a dozen different curses, watching as his palm was soaked with blood within seconds.

Sweat dripped down his forehead steadily as he grit his teeth, but his golden eyes locked on his superior with a glare as sharp as a knife. "So, are you coming or not?"

"Over my dead body, bastard."

That was when Roy's impassive expression turned into one of amusement, and his lips lifted upward into a wide smirk. "Gladly."

There was another shot, though this one was far more accurate than the last. Roy stood over his unmoving body, lying on the ground and soaked in blood – such a contrast to his skin, which seemed to be becoming paler by the second. As he looked into his fading golden eyes, he was sure that the Fullmetal Alchemist had never looked quite this beautiful.

* * *

**_Yay, the end! c: Just a random idea that came to me... for some reason. My ideas tend to do that._**

_****__Er, so, yeah, no real comments about this. Sorry about the shortness. Prequel is coming up soon! ^^_  



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